Christmas-tree holder



July 15, 1930. F. E. JOHNSON CHRISTMAS TREE HOLDER Filed Jan. a, 1929 [J] I//l/ /I/ V Y Patentecl July 15, 1930 ter erion FRED E. JOHNSON, OF LA CROSSE, WISCONSIN oneisrrresnnnn HoLnna Application filed January 8, 18539.

This invention relates to the class of supi ports or holders and pertains particularly to an improved and attractive means for holding Christmastrees in upright position. 5 V The primary object of this invention is to provide a device for supporting trees or similar bodies in upright position which will automatically operate when the end of the tree is placed therein, to grip the tree and hold it as-positioned. r

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of such character that when the tree or other article held thereby is pulled upwardly the supported article will be immediately released.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specifioation, with the understanding, however, that the invention is not conned to any Strict conformity with the showing of the drawing but may be changed or modified so long as such changes or modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claims. e

In the drawing i Figure 1 is a View of a toy house showing a tree in position in the chimney thereof;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view of the house chimney showing the holding device embodying the present invention, therein;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken transversely of the chimney substantially upon the line 3--3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4: is a detailed plan view of the joint between the tree supporting arms.

The holding clevice embodying this invention is designed to be used in association with a decoration which usually forms one of the decorative features of a Christmas tree such for example as the toy house l the holding device being adapted to be Secured in the 5 chimney 2 of the house, the chimney forming a casing for the holder and for the lower portion of the tree;

If desirecl the house may be provided with suitable electric lights upon the interior and the windows with transparent or semi-trans- Serial No. 331342. i

parent coverings so that' the house may be illuminated While the tree is in use and when this is done it is desirable that a convenient outlet such as that indicated by the numeral 3 be placed in the house structure as for example in the roof adjacent the chimney so that current may be Conveniently supplied to' lights and other electrical ornaments upon the tree. e

- The tree holder comprises a pair-of square frames i and 5 eachof which is made up of four members 6 formed of a pair of arms arranged in right angled relation and each terminating at'its free end in an inwardly directed ear 7. These angled members are positioned each in' a corner of the chimney 2 of the building so that the ear at the end of each' arm is broughtintospaced relation at the central portion of a side wall of the chimney` With theear of an adjacent arm and as is shown the frames arearranged one in the upper portion and one in the lower portion of the chimney. I

Pivotally 'positioned between the ears of each of the four pairs of each of the frames 4 and 5 is one end of a pointed dog 8 and the dogs carried by the upper frame, t are pivotally connected with the underlying dogs carred bythe lower, frame &by the toggle arms 9 so that movementof thedogs carried by one' frame will cause a corresponding movement of the dogs carried by the other' frame.

Each of the dogs 8 carried by the lower frame or the frame 5, has pivotally connected ther-eto as at 10, the point where a toggle' arm 9 is connected, 'a short depending link 11 the lower end of which is pivotally attached as at 12 to one of the four arms 13 of a platform indicated as awhole by the numeral' lat. This platform' 14 is preferably constructed of pair ofmembers ,made up of two arms, arranged in right angled relation the two members being flattened and joined together b a suitable bolt 15 at the oint of 'oinder P i e of their arms. The arms of the platform member are of such length that the links 11 which connect them with the adjacentdogs 10 are directed inwardly'at their lower ende From the foregoing it will be seen that when the platform lt is raised the links ll will be straightened out to a certain extent and the dogs S and connecting toggles 9 will be raised and will swing apart each moving toward the adjacent side of the chimney body 2. Suflicient room is thus provided i or the insertion of the lower or butt end of a tree such as indicated by the numeral 16 and it will be seen that when the tree is inserted between the dogs which are pointed inwardly and upwardly from each side wall of the chimney and is brought to rest upon the platform 14 and allowed to bear down thereagainst the platform, links and dogs will all be lowered until the points of the dogs are brought into engagement with the body of the tree.

Application of additional downward pressure to the tree will result in the penetration of the dogs into the tree body from all sides and the tree will be firmly clamped and remain in upright position when released.

It is clear that in order to release the tree to remove it from position it is only necessary to pull upwardly thereon whereupon the dogs will be caused to Swing upwardly and will extract themselves from the tree body.

Having thus described my invention what 'I claim is 1. A supporting device for an upright body, comprising a frame designed to surround the body, a plurality of pairs of ears carried by and projectng inwardly of said iframe, a plurality of arm members each pivotally attached to said iframe between a pair of ears and disposed to be directed toward a common center, a support for the body, and link members connect-ing the support with said arms to suspend the same therefrom, the application of the body to the support bringing the free ends of said arms into engagement with the body.

2. A support for an upright body, comprising a frame made up of a plurality of sections, each having its ends turned to form an ear and each having' its ears in spaced relation with ears of adjacent sections, ponted arm members each pivotally mounted between a pair of ears and directed toward the center of the frame, links each pivotally attached at one end to an arm adjacent the free end thereof, and a body supporting platform Suspended beneath the arms by and pivotally attached to said links.

3. A support for an upright body, comprising a frame made up of a plurality of sections, each having its ends turned to form an ear and each having its ears in spaced relation with ears of adjacent sections, pointed arm members each pivotally mounted between a pair of ears and directed toward the center of the frame, links each pivotally attached at one end to an arm adjacent the free end thereof, a body supportingplatform com- V prising a pair of substantially V-shaped frame to position each ear in spaced relationto the ear of another member, pointed arms each pvotally mounted between a pair of ears and having its free end directed toward the center of the frame, a body supporting platform, and link members pivotally connecting the platform with said arms to suspend it therefrom, each of said links having one end attached to the arm adj acent its free end.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afliX my signature.

FBED E. JOHN SON. 

